Entrepreneurs in Residence

Experienced entrepreneurs and senior executives often have a desire to give back to Vermont’s entrepreneurial community. VCET brings these two groups together via its Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EIR) Program. EIRs assist a new generation of employer while providing opportunities for experienced entrepreneurs and executives to share their wealth of experience with start-up founders, contemplate and develop their next start-up and aid VCET in advancing an innovation economy in Vermont.

Select EIRs are invited into VCET’s facilities and programs for six month volunteer terms in exchange for mentoring and coaching services. EIRs offer expert advice, counsel and assistance based upon their prior experiences as senior executive and entrepreneurs from diverse sectors. EIRs today include:

Steve Mank
Steve bring more than 25 years of executive management, marketing and strategic business development experience in networking and application systems and their associated management environments. In roles such as Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Operating Officer and SVP of Product Operations, he has specialized in helping to lead emerging companies like Apparent Networks, Qovia, Panacya, Trinagy, Xyplex, Motorola and Newbridge among others into market-dominating positions. Steve resides on Isle La Motte.

Everett S. McGinley
Everett is a high tech executive and entrepreneur that focuses on bringing new technologies to market. Everett has over 20 years of experience in leadership of startup companies, product marketing, business development, and general management. Most recently, he was CEO and co-founder of InVisage Technologies, an image sensor semiconductor company, where he developed the company’s business plan and raised the initial venture funding. Prior to this, Everett was the CEO of Axcel Photonics and President of Bandwidth Semiconductor, both optical component compound semiconductor companies, and VP of Business Development and General Manager of Optoelectronics at Spire Corporation, a public solar equipment and technology development company. Everett has a home and forestry operation in Montgomery, VT.

Perry Solomon
Perry has spent the last 18 years as CEO of five companies. At Fidelity Capital, he was a venture professional who then became CEO of Boston Coach, a major ground transportation company owned by Fidelity. Following Boston Coach, Perry moved onto HR Logic as founder and Chairman. He then became the CEO of Legalink, which was a global roll-up of 26 litigation support companies that later sold to Merrill Lynch. Currently, Perry is evaluating firms in the clean energy space through a Fellowship sponsored by the New England Clean Energy Council, MIT, and other venture firms. He has been an EIR previously at leading venture firms Battery Ventures and General Catalyst Partners. Perry and his family have a home in Stowe, VT.